Mattress tufting button



March 29, 1938 A c v c 2,112,479

MATTRESS TUFTING BUTTON Filed March 19, 1937 Patented Mar. 29, 1938UNITED STATES MATTRESS TUFTING BUTTON Albert A. Cavicchi, Arlington,Mass, assignor to Ernest Cavicchi, Boston, Mass.

Application March 19, 1937, Serial No. 131,955

1 Claim.

This invention relates to tufting buttons and more particularly to abutton especially designed for use in tufting mattresses.

The object of the invention is to provide a tufting button of simple andinexpensive construction capable of being quickly and convenientlyattached to the opposite ends of a loop of cord or other bindingmaterial for the purpose of holding the loop under tension after havingbeen threaded or otherwise passed through the body of the mattress.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufting button havinga transversely split head to permit ready application of a cord loopthereto, said head being provided with a depending eye adapted toreceive and frictionally engage said cord loop.

A further object is to provide a tufting button, the head of which isconcavo-convex in cross section to impart additional strength andrigidity thereto while the upper surface of said head is devoid ofprojections so as to present a smooth unobstructed surface to the bedcovering.

A further object is to provide a tufting button which is stamped orotherwise formed from a single metallic blank having terminal enlargedportions united by a relatively narrow connecting web whereby, when theblank is pressed into permanent shape, the enlarged portions thereofwill be disposed in spaced juxtaposition to each other to form the headof the button with the connecting web looped at one side of said head toform the attaching eye of said button.

A still further object of the invention is gen- H orally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefiiciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a mattress provided withmy improved tufting button,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the tufting buttonsdetached,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3,

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a plan View of the blank from which the button is formed,and

Figure 7 is a top plan view illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

The improved tufting button forming the subject-matter of the presentinvention may be used on mattresses, cushions, pillows and upholstery ofall kinds, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a conventionaltype of mattress, in which 5 indicates the top of the mattress and 6 thefilling thereof. The tufting button is preferably stamped, pressed orotherwise formed from a single metallic blank of the construction shownin Figure 6 of the drawing, said blank being pro- 10 vided with terminalenlarged portions '3 and 8 united by a relatively narrow integralconnecting web 9. The metal at the outer edges of the enlarged portions7 and 8 is preferably scalloped, as indicated at H], in simulation of aclover leaf while the inner edges of the said enlarged portions arepreferably straight and disposed at substantially right angles to thelongitudinal plane of the connectingweb 9, as indicated at H. Infabricating the button, the metal constituting the connecting web Q isbent or pressed laterally to form an attaching eye l2 and this bendingor pressing operation brings the terminal enlarged portions '5 and 8 ofthe blank in juxtaposition to each other, as illustrated in Figure 4 ofthe drawing, thereby to produce a button comprising two lobes normallyseparated from each other by an intervening transverse slot M with theattaching eye integral with the head of the button and bridging saidslot. The lobes I3 constituting the head of the button are preferablyconcave-convex in cross section to impart additional strength andrigidity thereto and the upper surface of the head of the button, itwill be noted, is entirely devoid of surface projections so as to 7 ,7,present a smooth unobstructed surface to the bed covering. The walls ofthe attaching eye l2 converge in the direction of the lower surface ofthe head of the button so as to form a constricted throat l5communicating with the slot l4 and 40 through which the twine or cordloop I1 is introduced when applying the button thereto. It will thus beseen that the button comprises a transversely split head having anattaching eye integral therewith and so connected with the mating lobesconstituting the head of the button that the cord loop may be quicklyand conveniently attached to the button or removed therefrom at will. Itwill also be noted that, when the tufting buttons are attached to theopposite ends of the cord loop l1, said buttons will bear against theupper and lower faces of the mattress and maintain the loop undertension at all times.

The buttons are, of course, arranged in pairs and in applying saidbuttons to a mattress one end of the cord loop I! is passed through theslot M in the adjacent button and a longitudinal pull exerted thereonuntil it contacts with the closed end of the attaching eye, after whichthe cord loop is threaded or otherwise passed through the filling 6 ofthe mattress and the other end of the cord loop inserted Within the slotin the head of the mating button and in which position both buttons willbe securely anchored on the mattress and the cord loop maintained undertension at all times, as will be readily understood.

As previously stated, it is preferred to scallop the outer edges of thelobes constituting the head of the button in simulation of a four-leafclover so as to give the button a neat attractive appearance, but itwill, of course, be understood that the heads of the buttons may haveany desired marginal outline so long as the head of the button istransversely split and provided with an integral depending attachingeye.

In Figure 7 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention in which the mating lobes constituting the head l8 of thebutton are substantially semi-circular in shape so that, when the blankis pressed into permanent form with the lobes of the head injuxtaposition, said head will be substantially circular in outline.

Inasmuch as the attaching eye I2 is integral with the lobes constitutingthe head l3 of the button and said lobes are normally separated, itfollows that the head of the button is more or less resilientlysupported on the eye with the result that, when the cord loop I! isintroduced within the eye, the tension on the cord loopwill have atendency to close the transverse slot I l and thus assist in preventingaccidental displacement of said cord loop.

It will, furthermore, be noted that the closed end or saddle of theattaching eye I2 is concavo-convex in cross section, as indicated at l9,so as to present a transversely curved smooth upper surface for contactwith the cord or twine and thus prevent chafing or cutting of the twine.

It will, of course, be understood that the tufting buttons may be madein different sizes and shapes and nickeled, Japanned or otherwise coatedto give them a neat attractive appearance without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A tufting button comprising a head consisting of companion sectionshaving parallel confronting inner side edges extending across the headin close proximity to each other, and a substantially U-shaped shankconsisting of a narrow strip integrally united at its ends to opposedmedial portions of the inner side edges of the head sections inappreciable spaced relation to ends of the inner side edges and. havingits arms converging upwardly and at their upper ends disposed in closeproximity to each other to form the shank into a substantially closedeye, the head sections being of concavo-rconvexed formation to provide adished head having a concaved under face with the shank locatedcentrally thereof.

ALBERT A. CAVICCHI.

